Play It Came from the Moon for Free

Some slot machine themes take players into outer space, but this particular video slot brings the outer space to earth with its wacky take on an alien invasion. The games visual aesthetic emulate the science fiction genre of 1950s pulp magazines, complete with comic style captions to narrate the action as the reels appear on the screen. There is one symbol, for example, which presents a magnificent picture of the moon with a caption that says “It was almost as if…” the perfect set-up for the alien mayhem that follows. Other icons depict a flying saucer, an atom boiling ray gun and a screaming granny – the staple ingredients for any good alien invasion caper!

Overall, the game's aesthetic is well thought out to aptly put a humorous twist to each and every spin. There are even some simple animations which cause the reel symbols to light up whenever they form a winning combination. Plus, if a player manages to hit a top win, then they will be duly notified by an alien spaceship which uses its laser beam to write “Jackpot” in big letters across the screen.

Speaking of jackpots, we bet that you're itching to know what kind of wins this slot machine has in store. Well, as the game states in its “info” section – the top possible win per spin is capped at a very attractive 40,000x line bet multiplier. Having said that, this slot machine doesn't offer any huge wagering options with a maximum stake per line of just 0.50 credits and a minimum of 0.01.

The 20 paylines are fixed, meaning that spinners will always have a decent amount on opportunities to line up matching symbols and get a cash prize. The lowest of these prizes is a simple 2x bet per line multiplier when three 10 symbols are found in a row. Five 10s, on the other hand will award 40x, five Js will pay 60x, five Qs will fetch 80x, five Ks go for 100x and five As makes for a 120x line bet multiplier win. All of the comic book style symbols offer the same range of prizes when they align: three in a row equals a 40x multiplier, four in a row awards 160x and five in a row offers 1,000x.

The best line bet win, however, is formed by finding two of the game's logo symbols which only appear on reels 1 and 5. Of course, you will need some help to turn those two symbols into a five-of-kind win, which is where the slot machine's wild icon comes into play; because if this symbol completes a payline win to connect a logo symbol on the first and fifth reel, then a 10,000x line bet multiplier will be paid. In fact, the wild symbol will substitute for all ordinarily paying symbols to complete winning combinations.

The only other symbol left to mention is the bonus triggering icon, depicted by a “Drive In” sign with a caption that reads: “Then suddenly.... it began!”. Indeed, if you find three of these icons on reels 2, 3, and 4, then the invasion will begin and you will be called upon to defeat the hoards of alien spaceships to save planet earth. Oh, and you might also get some bonus prizes too while you're at it – just to give you some extra incentive!

The game works as a pick 'em style bonus in which punters will be presented with row upon row of alien spaceships. The aim is to pick as many flying saucers per row to reveal some random bonus rewards. Every time that you reveal an alien figure, then you will move on to the next row until you finally face the mother-ship which bestows a particularly bounteous bonus prize.

It Came from the Moon is a great little novelty slot machine that achieves its theme with great success. Admittedly, the game doesn't go too crazy with the extra features (there aren't any free spins, for example) and the graphics are quite basic in 2D form. But this simplistic approach suits the retro comic book theme perfectly while players who like a bonus won't be disappointed by the heroic alien shooting side game.